Letters of Farewell
by ofshoyos
Summary: After having a task entrusted to him in doing a clean up, Hinata discovered a neatly folded paper crane tucked away with the other items in the volleyball club room. ( Kageyama x Hinata. AU. )
1. Chapter 1

**LETTERS OF FAREWELL.**

 **Summary** : After having a task entrusted to him in doing a clean up, Hinata discovered a neatly folded piece of a paper crane tucked away with the other items in the volleyball club room. ( Kageyama x Hinata. AU. )

* * *

 **Disclaimer** : This chapter was not completely proof read, and has yet to be beta'd. Please forgive me if any mistakes are found.

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 **CHAPTER ONE**

Early morning has come; the sky, a canvas painted of cerulean shades, was completed as splotches of cloud hung over the heads of residents in Miyagi. The weather for today was one taken to be quite considerable, standing in the midst of fine lines that separated 'cold' from 'hot'.

Once it comes down to a certain decoy, however, none of these brought much importance, especially when volleyball becomes an involvement. Whether it be under the glazing heat of the sun or during a cold, _cold_ winter, Hinata vowed that such circumstances would not prevent him from doing any volleyball practices. Thus, leading down to a conclusion in which the young one may have to pay more than mere consequences as foretold by the situation.

But, of course, Hinata was not one to be underestimated; he isn't _that_ idiotic enough to push himself to the brink of death— well, at least, _**not** _ on purpose.

Yet, in spite of everything to the contrary of how suitable the weather is today, it did not change the fact that his rival-akin-to-a-friend remained absent; and said companion was none other than the infamous 'King of Court', Kageyama Tobio.

 _"He isn't here again..."_ Mumbled Hinata underneath his breath, a glance being thrown about the area where he and his friend often liked to start their typical yet pitiful competition.

For how long had this gone? In actuality, it'd be a few days but to the decoy, it felt like eternity. Brows scrunched up into an arch, and lips pursed into a pout, it was clearly evident that Hinata had become wholly irritated by Kageyama's absence.

Devastated, a sigh then left his lips as the said boy forced himself to drag his feet and his bicycle in hands along the pavement, shoulders beginning to slump in a defeated manner. Perhaps he should stop doting on a certain raven to come along at their usual spot as always; expectations would only discourage him by the end. That didn't keep him from giving up, nonetheless.

Besides, who knows if he'd come at a later time? With no prior to notice, Kageyama could have had a head start and began practice without him. There's also the possibility that Kageyama had forgotten whether they have practice on that day or not. Nonetheless, whether his speculations turned out to be true or not, Hinata was going to make sure to give the setter a beating. Actually, more like _a piece of his mind._

On the contrary, if this mishaps of his continued— then that meant there would be no toss, not even a single one, in which he desired from the raven to spike. Once again, this may put a mark to an another end of a day where naught but only a scorching bitter taste is left in his mouth.

How was he going to practice on his spikes, _specifically on their new quick_ , if the said setter **_isn't_** there?

Whilst it is true that Sugawara was there to fill in for Kageyama, but as hard as it is to explain, it simply doesn't feel the same. He felt bad for comparing his upperclassman to his friend, however, the truth was inevitable. His tosses did not give him the _same_ sense of satisfaction as Kageyama did.

The inter-high preliminaries were right around the corner, and for the past few days, Kageyama's absence had proven to be an absolute hindrance to the team; an evidence of how truly valuable he was to their rate in terms of offense and defense. Should it too be mentioned that he was Karasuno's official setter?

Peculiarity sets in, and alas, the word 'strange' could no longer describe how grievous this situation became. No one among the other members of their team truly knew the reason why Kageyama wasn't there.

It simply... _happened_.

Due to this, Hinata presumed that there must be another valid reason behind his absence asides from illness. Throughout the first few months spent together with Kageyama, he came to learn that he was the type of a person whom would continue attending practices regardless of having a cold.

 **Kageyama** , the boy whom loved volleyball _so much_ that it was probably the only thing he ever gave a careful thought about; even if he had a decent reason to take a day off, he'd rather do practice than stay in bed.

Could it be that his cold truly got to him this time around? Hinata shook his head. No, it couldn't be a cold. If that were to be the case, the team then would have been informed of his condition in taking few days off for a rest. By the time Kageyama makes his return, which could be today or any other day, he better has a good explanation for his missing presence. Other than that, he owes him personally a big time. Not that he felt _lonely_ without him or anything.

"Shoyo! Late again, huh? That's the third time this week!"

Halting in his tracks rather abruptly, Hinata glanced above to notice that he had long already passed through the school's gate. Turned his head to the side, he found Nishinoya waving at him, a signature grin settling on his face. Upon sighting this, his eyes once void of determination now began to bore of excitement.

Mayhaps, for the meantime when the setter won't be around, he should concentrate on improvising his receives; the idea of being praised for making a dramatic progress in the area where he lacked the skills in only a little matter of time seems thrilling. It was _impossible_ , Hinata knew, but there's nothing harmful in dreaming about it, no?

"Noya-san! Ah— ehe, I kinda accidentally set my alarm wrong again." The ginger-haired released a sheepish laughter, quite taken aback by how perfectly the lie had slipped out of his mouth as a hand flew up to rub at the back of his head. Except that what he had told wasn't exactly a _lie_ ; Hinata did set his alarm wrongly, though this did not make up for the majority cause of his tardiness. Yet again, it's not as if he'd easily tell his teammate that he was waiting for a supposedly _rival_ of his to show up.

"Uoh? You sure it's not because of..." Nishinoya tilted his head. "... the dream where the volleyball gods are punishing you for killing a butterfly?"

Then cue the release of breath to which Hinata didn't even know he held. Shivers then racked his frame, a reminder of a dream he had long ago slowly easing into the depth of his mind. "G-gah! Don't mention that, Noya-san! I told you, that was an accident!" Regardless, though not shown on his face, it truly was a relief for the young one that his lie had not been pointed out, but it made him wonder.

Where is the wrong in having others know if he was concerned for Kageyama? Especially when the said person has been missing for a bit?

"So, it must be because of the dream then, huh?" Nishinoya grinned, effectively snapping the former out of his thoughts.

"I-it's not! It's really because of my alarm!" Hinata tried to protest, but as always, the latter would try to gain the upperhand.

"It's okay, Shoyo! Be afraid, no more! Senpai will always be here to protect you!"

After locking up his bike at its proper place, he trailed after the other, a protest ready to be thrown out at the tip of his tongue. Few more pointless bickering then took place, and the only time the pair finally managed to settle down once more was when they reached at the peak of entrance to the gymnasium.

Much to one's dismay, all the nausea suddenly came back to Hinata. Reasons unknown why, hesitance was present in each and every careful steps that Hinata took as he closed his eyes. He lets his feet guided him through the door, and together, he entered the gymnasium with Nishinoya. As he opened his eyes, he didn't know what to expect. He had no idea what expectations he held when his eyes began to roam around despite knowing exactly what he was expecting for.

So, why is it that he felt a twinge of disappointment when he was greeted with a certain setter nowhere in sight even after few days?

Almost everyone was already there. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi at far one end of a corner, as per usual. Sugawara, Daichi and Asahi gathered at one place where Kiyoko and Yachi was. Tanaka was chatting with Ennoshita, Narita, and Hisashi.

Something's wrong with him. To be more particular, something felt quite off about this situation. Maybe he was becoming too much of a worrywart, or that it could be because he was starting to familiarize with the fact that Kageyama remained by his side nearly all the time to the point where it felt unusual to not have the setter beside him. Yes, that had to be it; that has to explain his confusion at this newfound situation.

Just as the decoy was about to wreck himself with another train of thoughts that are bound to pull him in into a pit, disruption came as a familiar voice nearby chunked him out of his dazed state.

"Oh!"

Might it have been his imagination, but Hinata swore he captured a glimpse of concern and, mayhaps, sorrow spread on Nishinoya's face even for a short interval of time. Nishinoya, the optimistic kind of teammate whom always kept his head up high no matter how difficult the situation. "Noya-san? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just thatー Kageyama still isn't here..."

It then struck the decoy that he hadn't considered that he might not be the only one to question his absence. His other teammates, like Nishinoya, too were taking it into consideration. Without missing a beat, he felt relieved, a reassurance made that it was, of course, perfectly natural for a teammate to be concerned. They're a _team_ , and a _team_ was supposed to be _looking after one and another._ What kind of team would they be if they're not concerned about the disappearance of one of their teammates?

Hinata doesn't know why he's even trying so hard to convince himself.

Maybe he was trying to reassure that Kageyama was fine, to think that everything is still fine, or that it's because _this_ feeling of concern was **different** in a way than the other times when he was worried about someone.

"Speaking of which, this is gonna be the fifth day he missed practice, right? It's a good thing that it's the weekend, otherwise, he would have missed school and lots of other stuff."

Then there's something about those words from his upperclassman that irked the decoy to no end. The possibility and the fact that it's been almost a week since their teammate's last appearance, it really was all too strange. It was a good thing that Nishinoya took no heed to his sudden quietness as the pair busied themselves in settling their bags down by a corner, proceeding to do a couple of warm ups right after.

* * *

Practice has come to an end.

Unfortunately to say, the satisfaction Hinata received from the game was almost existent to none. No tosses from the genius setter, then that meant no satisfaction. Nearly throughout the whole time during the practice, Hinata kept silent. It was strange of him, he'd agree, but there was something nagging at him at the back of his mind, as if it was trying to tell him that there was a problem.

Oh, but there was indeed a problem, and a rather _**huge**_ one at that. Kageyama's lack of presence should not have taken a toll on him this much, but it did, and soon, not only did it begin to affect him, but the team too had to pay for the price.

"That bastard! Of all times, when the preliminaries are coming up, he just goes and disappear without saying anything! I'm so going to kick his ass the next time I see his face!"

Not far from where Hinata stood, chaos began to ensue among the team. Tanaka yelled, looking like he wanted to throw a ball into someone's face. And as always, Sugawara would be the one who'd try and stop things before the situation worsens.

"Calm down, Tanaka. I'm sure he has an explanation for his disappearance, we just have to wait for him to return."

 _Wait for him to return;_ **easier said than done.** The decoy would listen on in to their conversation for more, if it wasn't for Tsukishima who called out to him out of the blue.

"Oi, Shrimpy."

Few steps were taken back, and now aware of how close the blond had come to invade his personal space, Hinata felt ascertained that his face was now comparable to the shade of a ripened tomato. Shock, mingled with embarrassment, was presentable on his face, an indication to be made that he was caught off guard. The blond, on the other hand, made no remark ( much to his relief ) but the intense gaze he had set on him was still eerie enough to make him feel uncomfortable.

"W-what? You wanna fight?"

"Calm down. I only wanted to ask if you're sure that you don't know what happened to the king. You two are pretty close, after all."

Close? All signs of discomfort vanished without a trace at the premise as he could only have his eyes widened in response to the statement. A moment was then taken by the blocker to ponder on this _seemingly_ absurd speculation. Close, huh? _Were they close?_ If so, since when have they become close? Did their other teammates have an impression of them being close as well?

Several ticking seconds were spent on racking his brain for an answer through his scattered thoughts, but alas, Hinata gave in and simply reached to a conclusion that **_no,_** he isn't as close with Kageyama like the others had thought. "Um, we're not _that_ close..." The decoy slowly started, unsure of how to continue his jumbled words.

"I mean, yeah, we do practices together a lot of times but honestly, outside of volleyball, I don't know _anything_ else about that guy!" Hinata huffed, practically pouting at the last line said.

"Really, huh? So, I guess it's the same thing for him when it comes to _you?"_

Silence then suddenly befalls them, and Hinata's discomfort from back then returned as the tension between the pair rose into the air. The inquiry echoed in his head, the words burnt and etched into the very depth of his mind which made Hinata so certain that the question might come back to bite him at one point again.

Damn that Tsukishima, he was going to be the one blamed for all this sudden uneasiness and unnecessary thoughts... But... As much as he'd hate to admit, he has a point. If he doesn't know much about Kageyama other than matters relating to volleyball, then won't that mean the concept would be applied the same for the latter?

For some reason, his chest _ached_ slightly at this thought.

For some reason, he could only hold his breath as he replied with a hasty, brief agreement.

"I guess."

...

"Oh. Pity."

 ** _Pity._** Whatever Tsukishima meant by that did the finishing blow.

Time ticked by as seconds turned into minutes, and it didn't take long until he realized that most of the club members long had already left, including Tsukishima. Rather, what surprised him more was that he found himself standing in the same spot since the earlier confrontation.

By now, the only ones left in the gymnasium were the few people who were to be tasked with dealing with the aftermath of their activities. "Hinata," Perked up at the sound of his name called, Hinata swerved to see Daichi beckoning at him to come over. He complied, pushing bits of his reluctance aside despite it being shown through his expression.

"I'll be entrusting the duty to you and Tanaka for the clean up. Can you handle it?"

"Yes! I'll try my best!" Hinata fervently gave a nod, and once again, he felt as if a weigh has been lifted off of him for reasons unknown. Ah, perhaps it has to go with the saying that the best remedy in clearing up one's mind was to engulf themselves within any tasks. Before the ginger-haired could have the chance to skid away and start his work however, he found the time for his duty to begin was delayed when the captain held him back once more. And this time, it was exactly because of what he feared of—

"Ah, and Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"I noticed that you seemed a little bit out of it earlier. Are you okay?"

— the fear that people are starting to notice how oddly out of character he became.

"I-I'm okay! Nothing to worry about, I'm fine— uh— I was just— I'm fine!"

As expected, he'd react with his usual response; Hinata would strongly deny the statement and make an attempt in reassuring the other and himself that he was but detached during the day's practice. He needn't any more problems to be added to the list for the team to deal with. If it comes down to it, that would be one of the very last things he'd do.

But with a slight exaggeration in his reaction and an obvious crack in his mask displayed, it'd be a no wonder why no one seemed to have taken his words to heart. Whilst others have seen through this lie like a crystal glass, the little crow, himself, remained to be oblivious. It isn't that he was a bad liar ( except, he is _one_ ) but the truth isー he wasn't completely aware of the answers that left his mouth, all due to concern fogging his mind like a plaque.

"Are you sure?" A frown appeared on Daichi's face, making the decoy feeling conscious and at unease as he shuffled a bit to the side.

"This is because of Kageyama, isn't it?"

That did it. Hinata tried to answer— ** _tried to deny_** — but the world seemed to have other plans for him when he found no sound coming out from his mouth, only noises caught up in his throat. He couldn't even look properly into his captain's eyes when questioned.

 _Pitiful_. Tsukishima's words rang in his head.

"You're not the only one." This caught his attention. "All of us are worried too since we haven't gotten a word out of him. And judging from the look of yours, you don't know anything either." It was scary how Daichi seemed to have completely seen through him. But because of what he said, it made him realize a few things. Sure enough, reassurance was found once again, and this time it was in the words the captain had said.

Everyone was worried about Kageyama. It hit him. He wasn't the only one. Nishinoya too showed hints of concern earlier. Honestly, Hinata had no idea why he was intent on keeping this to himself when it was absolutely natural to be worried about someone's sudden disappearance. So, why? He didn't know, the boy felt so very confused; he felt utterly helpless.

Alas, Hinata could no longer contain himself nor resist the temptation to know; to acquire the knowledge whether his other teammates thought the same thing as Tsukishima had. "Um... Daichi-san, may I ask you a question?" His voice wavered, his nervousness almost getting to him. Thankfully, Daichi paid it no mind as he merely nodded for him to continue.

"Do you... think that Kageyama and I are close?"

Daichi seemed to be taken aback by the question.

"... You're saying that you're not? Or..?"

A swift nod of a head was given, an indication for how truly desperate was he for an answer. "Tsukishima thought that we were close, but... I would like to know what you think!" He declared. Mayhaps, it was only a matter of curiosity, but he decided that he has to know what the others think about it. It's quite pitiful, like Tsukishima said earlier, to think that he had to turn to someone else and ask for their thoughts on their relationship. Therefore, he felt glad when Daichi presented him a proper answer.

"Well... I won't lie. You two really do seem close, anyone would've been convinced. Then again, I suppose it's not for certain that you would become that close to him in an incredibly short matter of time. Especially since both of your relationship started out with a huge rocky road up ahead. Yet..."

Hinata gave a nod, able to comprehend the first few parts and have a sense of where this was going. Their relationship certainly did started out rough, it was a pavement entirely filled with obstacles in which they have to overcome. To transit from rivalry to friendship... Even the young one could comprehend how difficult the journey could be; when they first found that they were on the same team, what happened afterwards itself served as its proof. Thus why it had taken him by surprise when Daichi resumed his answer.

"Remember the first time you two did a quick? You trusted him straight away to send you a toss. There was no hesitation, no questions— **_nothing_**. A hundred percent of trust. He gave you a toss, you spiked it without seeing it. It was incredible, really. But it was also kinda _scary_. Since then, you two became closer. Or well, _to us,_ it seemed like you guys were getting closer. Soon enough, we noticed that you two started sticking by each other's sides no matter where one of you go. You guys probably didn't take heed to it as much, but we have. Strange to say, but it was like... seeing _a team within a team..._ Get what I mean?"

A team within a team. Somehow, Hinata liked the sound of that. He decided that the other's answer should be enough. For now, he'll accept the answer as it is, regarding it as a thought to be wondered later on. "Yeah. I think I do." Lips curled up by the corner, the ginger-haired then flashed his captain a big smile, a bow given to show more depth of his gratitude.

"Thank you, Daichi-san!"

"Glad to help." Daichi chuckled, a hand waved before turning to the door. "Anyway, you should get started on your duty now so you can finish up early. Don't forget that we have practice tomorrow too. Ah, and I nearly forgot. Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"I think what matters more is how you actually view it rather than the others."

"H... Huh?"

At this, Hinata tilted his head. Obviously, he was expecting for Daichi to give further explanation, but what he received was akin to different; an inquiry that is bound to be haunting the little crow from every corner of his mind.

"Mm, how to put this into say... How about you? Do you think that you and Kageyama are close?"

"Um... Eh..." Hinata couldn't think up of anything to say, but Daichi only smiled at this.

"Just so you know. Maybe you two are close. It's just that you haven't realized it yet."

With those words, the young one was then left on his own to deal with his thoughts.

* * *

There was always this sense of satisfaction when one managed to finish their tasks. But of of course, the satisfaction derived from it was a different kind of sensation; the sentiment was nowhere near satisfying as the times when Hinata successfully spiked a ball.

Nonetheless, he took the opportunity in basking in its relinquishment. He deserves it, he thinks, especially after being exposed to a pressure in thinking countless of matters.

Once putting away a box filled of few things at a shelf, Hinata pulled back and gave himself a pat on the back, contentment swelled within his chest and filled to the brim.

Until Daichi's words struck him again.

 _"Maybe you two are close. It's just that you haven't realized it yet."_

Slouching forward, Hinata exhaled a bit too loudly through his nose, groaning at the same time. _It's no use,_ he told himself. This was a situation where he can't simply run away from.

Before Hinata could even turn and begin to gather his own belongings, a glimpse of an orange from the very back of the self caught his attention. Interest piqued, and intrigued by what the object was, Hinata couldn't help but peek his nose into it, wanting to know what the strange object could be.

Curiosity killed the cat; he began to move quietly, body bent slightly as an arm reached in into the shelf as far as it can. Barely, but at the very least, he was able to maintain a grasp on the unknown piece that felt soft yet familiar underneath his touch. Thinking that it may be a fragile object of some sort, he deliberately removed it from its place.

Hinata blinked when he saw what it was in his hand.

"A paper crane?"

Nestling at the center of his palm was a piece of orange paper crafted into a shape of a crane. A first sight of it alone had already put a huge impact upon the decoy; he was already, technically swooning _( a very faint and soft sound of "GWAH!" )_ as he admired how this beautiful piece of handicraft work possessed not even a slightest sign of a folding crinkle. It was as if it was perfectly made in one go; Hinata couldn't even do that. He'd say that it takes real talent to do so.

Yes, he made them plentiful of times before on occasions, especially with his younger sister as a way to pass their time. But no matter how many times he worked, there was always a mistake made somewhere and not wanting to waste paper, he'd unfold it and start it from the scratch.

Dwelling in the time of his reminiscence, it didn't occur as much to Hinata that he had unfolded the paper, and when he did, his eyes widened. Not only because he realized what he did to ruin such a perfect handicraft, but he too stumbled upon a _discovery_.

There was something written inside the folded paper crane.

Hinata looked around, he didn't know why he did, considering that he was practically alone in the volleyball clubroom at the moment, but he figured that it doesn't hurt to take more caution. Slowly, he continued to unfold the paper crane some more until it turned into nothing but an equal-sized paper filled of words.

A note, perhaps? Hinata raised an eyebrow questioningly at this. Not wanting to waste any more time, he decided to go along with the idea of reading whatever it was that had ink of a pen spilled against it.

...

 _#57._

A crow takes its flight before my eyes; wings colored of a splattered ink were spread to display its elegance, taking them high into the sky. Such a sight would certainly have any viewers left captivated, loss for words, and breathless. For once, I've learnt what it meant to witness a scene so beautiful yet incredibly dangerous at the same time. I long lost count of how many times I watched the crow soar into the sky, and it seems that no matter how many times I captured the scene, no matter how repetitive the scene is— it would never tire me.

There is an underlying beauty underneath the crow's flight; dignity and confidence radiating strongly that it could be felt even from a mountain's view. It was then I found myself aching with both envy and sorrow; envy because with every breath that I took, my wings would become more clipped, disabling me to take my own flight; and sorrow because by the time my moment comes, I could no longer watch and admire the beauty possessed by both the crow and its winging in the future.

If only... If only I could fly.

Together, with the crow to another place.

 ** _Tobe._**

...

At the end of the letter, there signed a name, **_Tobe_**. An odd name it was, and Hinata had no clue whether the person who wrote this certainly did go by the name of _Tobe_ or was it merely a pen name. Nonetheless, he could care less about the name at this very moment.

The content of the letter had the young one completely enamored; words carved onto the paper were traced lightly underneath the tips of his fingers as he helplessly and blankly stared ahead. It took time, but he was able to gain bits of his composure.

Now, Hinata was clearly not one to take interest in literature, poems, or such the like. Henceforth, how is it that a short passage engraved on a small piece of paper managed to enchant him in all ways? There was something within the letter pulling him in, he could feel it; and _like a fish with a bait,_ he was lured in, completely overwhelmed by his senses to even think nor function properly.

"Hinata!"

That is, until he was hauled back into reality. Without any second thought, Hinata immediately stuffed the paper into one of his pockets, and there, as he turned around, was none other than Tanaka whom stood by the door, shooting him a look he knew all too well that expressed of one's concern.

"T-tanaka-san!" was the only thing Hinata could blurt out for he did not exactly knew what to say. He felt embarrassed, nonetheless, his cheeks were now lit with a blush due to the fact that he nearly got caught. Albeit he doubted that he'd mind as much if he was caught reading the note.

"I was waiting for you but you're taking too long! I nearly thought something happened to you." Tanaka sighed and rested his hands on his hips, leaving his bag to dangle by the shoulder. "Anyway, you done? We gotta leave now since we finished cleaning up."

Upon hearing those words, Hinata gawked to himself. Did he really take that long? He must have been too enraptured with the letter to even notice how long time have passed. "Y-yes, I'm coming!" Without a falter, he moved to pack up his bag and other things, hastily apologizing to his upperclassman with an undignified squeak throughout the whole time.

On his way back home, _volleyball_ and _Kageyama_ no more lingered as much in Hinata's mind.

All he could think about was the letter, the aforementioned crow, and the mystery behind it.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Hello! This is my first time writing a Haikyuu! story.

Honestly, I had a hard time in typing out this chapter simply because I, myself, am also unsure of how would this story go. But I'll make sure to figure it all out soon! So, the chances of this chapter getting rewritten is somewhat likely. ( Cringes at my writing. I'm awful at writing long stories. ) Anyway, this story was inspired by a certain Japanese legend which will be revealed as the story goes on. I don't want to spoil the fun yet. :3c

Chapter updates may come randomly. It depends if I am available and if I still have the motivation. Leave a review, maybe? Until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

_I kinda rushed this chapter. Sweat drops. I apologize for the late update! I've been busy with college. ;; After some time not making any updates, my writing is really rusty. I'm sorry for that!_

* * *

For the remainder of that day, Hinata's thoughts mainly revolved about the topic enclosing on his newfound discovery— the paper crane. It gnawed at the back of his mind; each and every word engraved on the paper, albeit one of eloquence, was purely an enigma as they haunted him. Due to curiosity, it wasn't long until Hinata neglected his necessity for a rest on that same night. He turned, and turned, the blanket soon pooled by the torso as light from a nearby lamp continued to glisten upon the letter in his steady grip.

It was quite obvious that Hinata was busying himself in contemplating upon the mystery that hid beneath the note for quite a while now. At first, the orange head thought that it may be a case that could be easily resolved. He certainly underestimated the case. With the hand of time reaching out further than before, it proved to be more complicated than he thought.

How exactly does one read in between the lines? For once, the boy was starting to regret for not spending much time on studying his native language, Japanese. If he had, maybe he could have figured out a thing or two regarding the letter. But he didn't, and therefore, he couldn't.

"Ugh, this is so _hard!"_ With the proclamation said aloud, Hinata gave up. A groan resonated from the back of his throat as he plops back against the mattress, forgetting about the small fact that he shouldn't be loud at this time. Right now, a rest seemed to be a plausible option unlike before, and suddenly, there was a heavy weigh atop of his lids, then bit by bit did his grip on the paper began to falter. The last thing that crossed Hinata's mind before he fell into a peaceful slumber was naught but the pleasant thought of Kageyama's return.

* * *

By the next morning, Hinata no longer waited for Kageyama at their usual spot as he was already past the school gates— no, it had nothing to do with him giving in or such the like, though he doubted that he would consider it even if given the chance. Hinata merely reckoned that if Kageyama would be present for today's practice, he'd turn up at the gym later. Indeed, there was no denying that the continuous absence was suspicious, but Hinata refuses to think that there's a possibility that Kageyama might not turn up at all.

Or at least, he's desperately not trying to think about by engulfing himself in small mannerisms as a distraction, like kicking a small rock or—

"Good morning, Hinata."

Perking up at the sound of a welcome, Hinata momentarily paused in his walk towards the school to throw a glance to the side. Signs of fatigue by then was swept from his face at once after capturing the sight of Asahi trudging towards him. Instantly, a smile graced the former's complexion, the greeting about to be returned only to release a rather loud yawn instead.

He must have came off seemingly tired ( even if he is, due to lack of sleep ) because it wasn't until later when Asahi questioned him. "Did you not sleep well?"

"Eh?"

"A-ah, I'm sorry if that came rude! It's just that you... don't look like you got enough rest?"

Blinking once, or perhaps, twice, Hinata could only gawk in slight confusion by the time Asahi caught up to him.

"Oh." The question came rather too sudden after all, then that's when memories from last night flooded into his mind. Hinata remembered staying awake; he remembered perching over on the bed, and had his gaze completely transfixed on a sheet fill of words in which he happened to find. There was a slight urge to find another reasoning, for Hinata couldn't find the heart to tell Asahi about the recent events. He can't tell anyone about that yet. There was still a chance that this might just be a hoax and therefore, he tried to come up with a different reason that was akin to the incident last night.

"I-it's okay! I kinda stayed up late last night. Just got distracted with um... Studying! Yeah, I was late up studying! So really, it's my fault."

Okay, maybe not so alike. In fact, it was close to almost unbelievable; even he thinks that he sounded like he was desperately trying to convince himself. That asides, examinations had long come to a completion, and everyone certainly acknowledges the fact that Hinata wasn't the type of person whom would study without tests coming up. When Asahi had his face scrunched up in confusion upon hearing this, Hinata felt a glint of hope flickering within his chest, wishing to himself that the ace would accept his answer despite how ridiculous it sounded.

"I see." Fortunately, Asahi did and no longer pressed on the matter, much to his relief. With a smile sent at his way, Hinata took off immediately, an enthusiastic front put on once more before barging into the gym. There was a slight disappointment when no one of his expecting was there.

"Sugawara-san! Please send me some tosses!"

...

"The king didn't show up today either, huh." Tsukishima commented on yet again one of another today's oddities.

Like any other day, practice has ended. It was time to go home. Except this one, once again, had ended with something ( or rather someone ) that remained absent. Hinata turned, finding himself in a huddle of a circle with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, brooms in their hands which indicated they were going to do their duties.

"It's really unlike of him." Yamaguchi knitted his brows together before continuing, "He doesn't seem like that type of person to skip practices. It's been almost a week, right? Aren't you worried, Tsukki?"

Tsukishima shrugged, and if Hinata didn't know any better, he would say that Tsukishima wasn't as concerned as the team. But there's no denying the fact that whilst the tall lanky boy seemed quite disinterested in volleyball, he paid attention to his surroundings and went as far as to take note of Kageyama's lack of presence since he's usually the one to make the first remark. Well, at least, he assumed. Hinata doesn't blame him, of course.

Lately, everyone's been taking note of this a bit too much.

"What about you, Hinata?"

His attention then fell to the brunet before him who awaited for his response. No doubt, there was genuinity in the concerned tone of his voice, but knowing that this was Yamaguchi, his facial expressions had always said a lot more than how he puts his words together. Hinata came to know that even though the first year was not a regular, he still held determination to improve and honestly, that was something to be accounted for. Benchwarmers or not, Hinata learned, that doesn't mean they're useless.

"But isn't everyone?" Hinata started, reluctantly, and faintly remembering Daichi's words. "I mean, Kageyama's going to be the one who's tossing to me, so of course, I am!" And Kageyama will be the one to set a ball for him to spike. There was no doubting that.

"Huh... You're right." Yamaguchi slackened his back, looking elsewhere. "But... If Kageyama still hasn't come back by then, we'll have no choice but to leave for the away games without him. Worst case scenario is that he still isn't back by the time the official matches begin."

He had to frown at the last statement being said. That was definitely the worst case scenario. How is he going to improve without the said setter there? "Tokyo, huh..." Hinata thought aloud. "Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if we'll be able to make through the games without him..."

"Mm, which goes with the saying. Hypothetically, won't you become useless without Kageyama by your side?"

"Tsukki! That's too harsh." Yamaguchi scolded the other.

"What? I'm speaking the truth." Tsukishima shrugged, replying as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Without Kageyama, he won't be able to do that freak quick. It's basically the only thing he's useful at."

The realization hits him home hard like a brick. It's true, he supposed, it was actually quite a valid reason. Had Kageyama not gone to Karasuno in the first place, he vaguely wondered where he would have been.

He's in deep of thought now, failing to take note of how Tsukishima wandered off in attempt of briskly completing his duty, and he failed to realize it himself that he was getting lost in his own mind. However it didn't take long until he was disrupted from his train of thoughts when Yamaguchi approached him a bit closer.

"Sorry about that, Hinata." He apologized, making sure to bow a bit. "Please don't mind him. Tsukki can be... brash sometimes, but trust me when I say that he's actually a nice person when you get to know him."

Right.

"I guess so. But..." His fist clenched at the resounding words in his head. "He's right, you know."

Uncertainty was the main sentiment he felt by know. There were many things that needed to be consideration, and truthfully, he doesn't know what to feel towards them all. Should he be sad? Anxious? Worried? "To be only useful for one thing... Take that one thing away, won't that make me basically weak?"

But more and foremost, wasn't that the reason why he wanted to be strong enough to stand on his own when he's on the court?

"Hinata..." Yamaguchi must have wanted to say something, but when Tsukishima's voice rang from the other side of the court, he was forced to comply. Eventually though, but not before shooting Hinata a look.

Hinata huffed inwardly, mostly at himself. For the brunet to must have taken pity on him to even try counsel him, how more pathetic could he get? Nonetheless, he tried to remain optimistic regarding the whole matter and he may or may not have the idea on how. He rushed off soon enough, going about in a frantic search of a particular person before leaving the campus.

Upon finding the person, he wasted no time in calling for them out.

"Yachi-san!" Hinata shouted out, flailing about an arm to grasp her attention. There, Yachi stands, almost a step outside the gate before turning to meet his eyes and Hinata considered himself lucky since things went his way for once.

"Eh? Hinata? Y-yes, what is it?"

"Would you like to join me for lunch?" He gave a broad smile.

"... L-lunch? Later?"

"Kageyama and I normally go for lunch together before or after our practice during the weekdays, but he isn't here! So, I thought you maybe wanted to come with me in his stead?"

"Oh, sure! I don't mind... Wait! I forgot to bring my money!"

"It's okay. Take it as my offer!"

"Are you sure?"

Hinata vigorously gave a nod at that. "Very. I'll go get my bag first!"

True to his words, the redhead instantly sprang off in order to retrieve his bag within the gymnasium. But it wasn't long until he found another paper crane nestling beneath one of the benches.

* * *

"I'm really sorry for having you to pay for me." Yachi clasped her hands together, her head bowed lower a bit more than she should have.

"No, no, I told you, it's fine! Like I said earlier, take it as my offer. Besides, I should be the one to apologize since this is kinda sudden, ehe."

"I still feel bad though... I'll pay you back tomorrow, I promise!"

They were having a rest in a miniature cafe down by the shops by now, seated close to each other with their bags on the ground. Mayhaps their lunch couldn't be called lunch, consisting no more than a slice of cake and milkshakes, but they both figured it should be enough to sedate their hunger.

They talked, immersed in endless pile of topics to be conversed as laughter shared among them. Hinata's mood had proven to improve dramatically unlike earlier, and he assumed that this might have been what he needed all along to feel more up.

He was smiling, bright as ever, and it didn't occur to him that he had been absentmindedly pulling out his discovered item and fondled around with it. Not until Yachi brought it to his question.

"What's that? A paper crane?"

Hinata froze, and the sense of dreadfulness was slowly crawling in. "This— um—" He shouldn't be panicking, he knows, and this was Yachi, she could be trusted, he tried to reason but even then, that wasn't enough to prevent him from hiding the crane quickly along with the words to spill out from his mouth like a jet of ink. "I-it's nothing! Really!" He flushed. "— Just something that I found."

"Eh? O-okay then..."

Great, he must have interrupted the flow of their mood somehow because now, Yachi was giving him one of the looks that he's been receiving for the past few days.

"Um, Hinata. I was just wondering..." Yachi slowly started, and Hinata could already guess what was about to come next.

"Are you fine?"

"Me? Why would I not be fine?" He countered, his gaze averted as he picked up a fork to jab at the remaining pieces of the cake.

"W-well, since Kageyama-kun isn't back yet, I thought that you'd be... um..."

"I'm fine." Somewhere from the back of his mind, there was a faint voice. He couldn't help but to ponder on why the others were worried about him when it should be Kageyama to be concerned for. He's there, he's still there, and sure, he might be a bit off of his game lately, but he's still fine.

"Really? Because you've been awfully quiet lately, so..."

Oh. Hinata didn't even noticed it himself at all. "Sugawara is here to throw me tosses until Kageyama comes back." He says, sounding optimistic, shooting a smile at his close friend, "So, I'm fine!"

"Yes, but what if..." Yachi stumbled around with her words.

"Hm? What is it?" He blinked at the next words that came out shortly afterwards.

"What if Kageyama-kun doesn't come back?"

A bucket of silence meets the two after the question was shot. Hinata, pausing only a little in his actions as his brain busied comprehending the said words and tried to make a sense out of it. Unfortunately, it didn't do much.

"He'll be back." Hinata replied, his expression akin to the ones he makes whenever he puts his full concentration into a game. By the time he looked up, his eyes meeting the other's gaze, he pretends to not notice the evident confusion on her face. "I'm sure of it. He was gone only for a few days. That guy won't give up volleyball for anything else."

"I see..." They stared at each other for a while, Yachi being the first to break their contact when she moved to shift around in her seat. "I'm sorry. That was quite inane of me."

"It's fine! Believe it or not..." Hinata laughed sheepishly, a hand flew to rub at the back of his head. "It happens to me too."

* * *

 _#35_

It was that day again; the day when I had my first taste of abandonment. I could not count the days for how long since it left a dent on my self confidence. I tried, many times, to discard the thought, to shrug it off as if it was nothing important- but when something scarred a person so deep to the point it ingrained fear inside them, it's not easy. I wanted to believe, I wanted to have faith that things will be okay by then, but whenever the memory tugs on me from the back of my mind, I'm back to where I was.

It didn't take long to realize where or what I had been doing; I had been going in circles.

 _ **Tobenai.**_

* * *

Hinata was seated at his desk around the time he opened the crane. He knows that he should be doing his homework, but instead, he went strayed when he goes to tend to a completely different task. It can't be helped, he thinks, he blames the letter for being too damn captivating. Much to his surprise, or not so really, there was also words engraved on this paper but compared to the last letter, this one was less lengthy.

But the content? Much more complicated.

So, it wasn't a fluke. These paper cranes that he found, it was the doing of this 'Tobenai' person. Along with the number written at the top, Hinata was ascertained that it had to do with amount of cranes done, and therefore, he was confident that there were more of these to be found.

But for now, he's not sure what to do with the content of these letters. As much as they pull him in like a magnet, he falters to understand anything in them. He tried to connect the newly discovered letter with the previous one, but even then, it didn't seem to relate in any way.

What if... He mused, what if he collected more of these, then somehow, he'll be able to join the pieces together? That's it, a bright idea hung over him like a light bulb. He should, and suddenly, he feels like one of those detectives in the movies that are setting out to solve a mystery.

Except, this time, it really was a mystery.

Truth be told, he doesn't know about what was the purpose, he doesn't know why he should even go bother to keep up with this little... discovery of his. But such as a bee in search of a honey, he figured that hey, this might as well lead him to something that might be a worth of time. He can feel it.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, he's going to search for more paper cranes.

"Right! Let's do this! **_YEAH!"_**

 _"Shoyo! Keep your voice down!"_

* * *

The next morning, Hinata was trudging along the same path that he usually takes. Compared to yesterday, it could be easily seen that today, the redhead seemed better in more ways than one; it was all thanks to his determination and a small motivation dedicated to himself last night.

Should he search around the whole school? Where should he start first? Where exactly would Tobenai put his letters? So many thoughts were occurring to him all at once, but the moment he spotted a familiar figure from the distance, they ceased to a halt.

"Isn't that?" His eyes bulged out slightly at the sight.

Then he's running with his bike, and suddenly, he's buzzing with excitement like a dead toy that fully came back to life. "Kageyama!" He shouted to the figure from the top of his tongue, a hand waving in the air almost a tad too harshly.

The said person halted in his tracks. He turns, and Hinata's smile widens when he saw how Kageyama looked exactly how he saw him the last time. Tall, cranky and as scary-looking as ever.

"Hinata?" Kageyama muttered in disbelief.

"Kageyama!" Hinata rushed and all to his side, momentarily forgetting about his bike that fell to the side when he starts to gush about and well, basically, pulling a string of words in all one go. _"I can't believe it, you're here— you're actually here— I was worried that I wouldn't be able to spike those tosses anymore— I nearly thought you were abducted—"_

"C-calm down, dumbass! I can't even understand a single word you're saying!"

"I don't know what I'm saying either but just know that I'm relieved to know that you're fine, okay?!" It's true, all that heavy weigh from back then was replaced by a huge sense of relief. His chest feels lighter than ever now, and he's smiling, broader than ever, up at the taller boy who only continued to stare at him confusedly.

"You were worried about me?" Kageyama blinked.

"H-huh? What? You gonna mock me or something if I do?"

"No, it's just... I'm surprised." He said, as if this was like a whole new thing to him.

"Surprised?" Anger flared within Hinata when he heard of this. Seriously? Surprised? Caught up in his relief, Hinata had in fact momentarily forgotten about the whole anger he kept restrained towards the setter during the period of him gone. Kageyama's stupid, as stupid as him perhaps, but he didn't think he'd be this much of an idiot.

"Stupid Kageyama!" Hinata practically shouted into the other's ears, "You missed six days of practice! Sure, I guess that you did miss practice at some days, but six days in the same row? Sheesh." Arms crossed, he gives the other a glare to which it was gladly returned. Kageyama was about to say something, but he didn't give him a chance as he had cut him off first by continuing. "You were gone without any explanation too. What did you expect, huh? You thought no one would be worried?!"

"Oh." He grunted, not saying anything which leaves them in silence. Hinata was still bustling with anger, on the other hand.

"... Sorry."

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and— wait. What?"

"I said." Kageyama grunted, averting his gaze to a place elsewhere. "— sorry. I didn't mean to make you worried."

Well, that was new. Certainly not what he had expected from him. Had it been any other situation, he would have looked at him stupefied, but given the current state and from the way he sees how Kageyama contorted his face, he decided not to push it.

"... It's fine." He feels guilty, also reminded by what could be the possible valid reason for Kageyama absence. He didn't even give the other chance to explain himself. At that moment though, he's no longer angry at him, and so, he was left to deal with the tension between them.

Only after did Hinata pick his bicycle up had they started walking again towards the school. The walk along the way was relatively quiet, and Hinata's not sure on what to say. "So." He began, not looking at the other. "Why? I mean, why were you gone?"

"We tried to text and call you by phone, but there was no response. Then I guess we wanted to pay you a visit but none of us really knew where you live." For a while, he thought he'd done something to piss Kageyama off because he wasn't replying. He was about to question him again until Kageyama answered.

"My parents had to go out of town for a few days. I had to come with them."

At this, he couldn't help but throw a glance at Kageyama. "Huh? Why?"

"... There was an emergency."

"Oh." He fidget a bit as he walked. Emergency? What did he mean by that? What kind of emergency? He wanted to question him some more, but deciding to not push it, he left it at where it was. "Well, you could have told us before you went or something..."

"It was on a spur of the moment, I wasn't able to. And this place we went to has no service there, dumbass."

"Hey, it's not like I know!"

"If you don't know then keep your mouth shut!"

"How can I keep my mouth shut about when you're gone for like a week?!"

"I already told you that I'm sorry, dumbass!"

"Sorry really doesn't make up for anything!"

"Then what else you want me to say, huh?!"

"I don't know?!"

They both turned away and huffed at each other. It's funny, Hinata thinks, that they're still like this even after not seeing each other for some time. But... The redhead isn't going to deny. He feels a spark within him had come back to life, and at that moment, everything felt fine okay. Maybe it had something to do with Kageyama not being there, but he isn't too sure. One thing he can be certain about is that he feels elated upon knowing that they were about to fall back into their usual routine.

"Race you to the gym!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed, getting on his bike to race his way.

"Hinata, you dumbass! That was cheating!"

The atmosphere at practice later was as once as it was used to be. Lively, and today, everyone's mood seemed to be brightened, including the jackass known as Tsukishima, and Tanaka, who no longer showed signs of over-worrying.

 _( "Kageyama! Where have you been?! I've been crying ever since you left us to deal with our own... I missed you so much, my kohai! I could kiss your face right here, and right now!"_

 _"Didn't you say the other thing, Tanaka..." )_

Kageyama and Hinata bickered as the per usual. On that same day however, he finally gets to have another taste of the satisfying toss that he hits against the other side of the court and he gets to experience the familiar sensation of which kindled a warmth within him.

Yes, everything seemed to be fine as it was going. Kageyama was back, everyone's moods noticeably improved, and there is now a great reassurance that they'll be able to play in the nationals without worrying.

So, then why does he feel like there's something out of place?

Hinata frowned, the last bead of sweat rolling down his cheeks swept away with his shirt as he frantically glanced around, in search of what it could be that's missing. No, it's not the paper cranes that he was forgetting, he still remembered his secondary goals; his primary being volleyball.

This was entirely something else that he's feeling. Like something— or _someone_ — was going to die.

* * *

By the end of the day, Hinata couldn't manage to find another paper crane. He's searched in almost every corner of the clubroom but so far, there isn't any. He didn't get any more time to spare to check in the other places so, he was forced to go back home, feeling a little bit exasperated.

For a moment, he tried to consider, and his thoughts soon fleeted to the person who was responsible for writing all those letters; **Tobenai**.

Sure, Hinata hasn't a slightest clue of who he was but for him to put that in their clubroom, he could only assume that he might have been a member of the volleyball club., considering that it was found in the clubroom and all. However the problem comes as Hinata does not recognize anyone within their team with that name. Unless it was someone who was a graduated student from their school, then that might have explained it. What he did not get, however, was the purpose this 'Tobenai' have by hiding the paper crane away at the dark place of a shelf.

Perhaps he should question Sugawara if he knew anything about 'Tobenai'. Hinata knows that his chances of finding this person was slim. For all he'd know, 'Tobenai' moved away to a further place, or in the worst case scenario, passed away. Still, that did not keep him from giving up. The content of the letter was all he could think about; the choice of words, the emotions perfectly captured by the letter alone, and he wanted— no, he needed to know who this 'Tobenai' is.

Maybe that's why he was feeling a little bit out of place earlier. It might have something to do with this matter.

His phone being drawn out, he lies against his chair then texted the first person who came into his mind when he wanted to question something.

[ TO: SUGAWARA. ] Sugawara-san?

[ FROM: SUGAWARA. ] Yes, Hinata?

[ TO: SUGAWARA. ] Do you happen to know anyone by the name of Tobenai in the volleyball club before? Like maybe a third year from when you were a first year?

[ FROM: SUGAWARA. ] Tobenai? Weird name. Doesn't that mean 'Flightless'?

"E-eh?" Hinata blinked at this, realization slowly sinking in that, indeed, ' _Tobenai_ ' is the word for ' _Flightless_ '. What kind of parents would even name their child after something like that? Unless it was some kind of form a joke? Or... a pen name like he once figured, mayhaps?

[ TO: SUGAWARA. ] I guess so.. Do you know anyone?

[ FROM: SUGAWARA. ] : Nope. I don't think we ever had someone in the club with the name 'Tobenai'. Well, not during my time. Why? You looking for this person?

[ TO: SUGAWARA. ] No, it's nothing! I was just curious. Sorry for disturbing you. See you tomorrow! :D

[ FROM: SUGAWARA. ] I see. It's fine. See you tomorrow. :)

Somehow, he still feels odd about the whole thing.


End file.
